, 1887-03-09
EVERYBODY SKATES.
GAY ~sPEcTAcLEs ON THE ICY PLEAS
Yrs GROUNDS OF AMSTERDAM. ,

H~olInudsche Girls and Boys the Cham
pion skaters of tho Giobc-An Army on
skates-I:en,arksbIc Exploits of Some
Student skaters.
Tho lads and lassies of New York city
who re indulging in the invigorating
pastimc of skating may not, perhaps, DO
aware of the fact hat the lfollandsche
girls and boys are the most expert and in
veterate skaters in all the world. No
where has the opportunity for skating
been so thoroughly utilized, both for bust
ness and pleasure, as In Holland. The
plcntitude of water courses, combined with
the cold winters, make locomotion on ice
more practicable there thar in any other
part of the inhabited globe. During the
winter months al the products from farms
II dairies within a radius of twenty or
thirty miles from Amsterdam are brought
TO market upon ice sleds, invariably
pushed by the sturdy Beers and BoeIin-
men, of the country. Imagine n Sled ten
feet long by -four feet broad and high,
something like a box on runners: fill this
up with potatoes, cabbage or other pro-
duce when coming from the farm, or with
large tins Of butter, milk or cream, il
from n dairy. Now place a strong pole
six feet long across the back part Of the
top Of this vehicle; then four persons, two
of them women, will push this freight car
from Weesp to Amsterdam, sixteen Eng
lish miles distant, in an hour and thirty
minutes, taking it very easy on the road
and refraining from discussing the feat,
as 1t is one of every day occurrence.
CANALS y ISLANDS.
AS Amsterdam IS made up of 100 little
islands, formed by the intersection of
numerous canals, the click of steel clad
tAAt 10 l-a. Z. Il ,A.-- A. .-.. III
%grandest view of humanity on wings can
be had in the environs Of Amsterdam on a
Sunday afternoon. Upon an ice covered
spnce Of more than six miles square,
created by the union of the Amstel md
the Y, the inhabitants OF Amsterdam md
vicinity are out in force, and to sec a
gathering of q 5000 skaters is nothing
wonderful. Rows of tents, used as rcstali-
rants, billiard saloons, theatres, etc, meet
the eye everywhere, and the tired skater
has always Il place on han where rest
and u supply for the inner man can be
obtained. Gazing upon this flying assem-
bly, the eye is drawn to u couple who, hand
IN hand, execute the most difficult feat of
scientific skating, or who, in company
with Others. go through the peculiarly in
tricate movements of the quadrille.
Further on a space of 200 yards long by so
broad is lined on both sides with specta-
tors to view the swiftness of competitive
racing. Both ladies and gentlemen in
dulge in these races. and every season
prizes are offered by the city authorities
for the swiftest skater. Crossing his
skating place, you are nearly ovcrrun by
"A joyful band of rosy checked lads and
l~assics, who, believing there is speed in
union, have supplied themselves with a
gayly colored pole twenty feet long, and
placing it under the right arms Of the
skaters, ranged one after another, ami
hilate space with the velocity of a race
horse.
1t is II very common exploit for students
from the Leyden academy, thirty-two
miles distant from Amsterdam, to visit
tho capital city for n few hours skating
with their friends and to return to their
almn mater on the same day. From n re-
mark made to n skating student by n gen.
tleman that his companion was an Ameri-
can, the flaps Of the tent in which the
billiard table had place were thrown open
and the American lady was treated to n
performance strange to foreign eyes. Over
twenty students placed themselves about
100 yards distant from the side of the
table, and at n given signal one after the
other skated toward the tent, and ~increas-
ing their speed while diminishing the dis
lance, cleared the table at n le~ap-surely
"A pastime none but o Holland student
could indulge in.
SOLDIERS on SKATES.
If An army of foreign soldiers ever In
wade Holland in winter they will be treat
ed to surprises not provided for in any
book of tactics outside of the Netherlands.
The infantry Of Holland are furnished
with skates by the war department and
perform evolutions upon the frozen sur
face of Hollands watercourses with in
creased facility and with the same exacti-
tude as upon dry land. To see n complete
regiment OF soldiers, l 200 strong, all on
skates, from colonel down, wheel into line
by companies, ready for evening parade,
would gladden. the hearts of the G. A. r.
boys who have seen the picture of Wash
ington crossing the Delaware. The adju
tant of such n regiment has to be n rapid
skater, and to prevent any of New York's
soldiery from going to Holland to claim
superiority, the official record Of the adju-
tant OF the Holland Sixth infantry is
quoted below:
Date, Dec. 10. Distance skated, 5,462
English yards. Time, o minutes and 81
seconds.
In addition to the thousands of skaters
of all classes, dressed in divers strange
and quaint costumes peculiar to Holland.
tho tourist is given a view of long process
sion Of sleds of nil shapes and ages drawn
by horses. Outside of skaters and sleds,
so as not to interfere with either, the
white winged ice boats arc beating an
American locomotive record, and are well
adapted for use by Il people renowned for
furnishing the greatest Arctic explorers
of their time.-New York World.